Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-01
THE SPOILS SYSTEM.
TIE REPUBLICANS SPEND LAST NlGHTlN
DIVIDING THE OFFICES.
The Capeus in Session More Than Six HOurs-Ths
Result Of the Casting Of
Lots

minated last evening in the Republican
caueus at the Lincoln Club. The scram-
BILE for the things in sight has been so IN
decent as to give rise to feelings of disgust
in the minds of many citizens Of both par
ties, while the clamOr raised by the anx-
Gus ones in their anxiety to make them
selves heard by COuncilmen, has etfectu-
ally drowned the still small voice Of Re-
form, who has been with us during the
past few days on the lookout for the city's
interests and the welfare of the public.
About q gross of Republicans seem to have
neither slept nor eaten since the close the
polls last Thursday. Both by day
and night they have poured
the story of their needs, am
billions and desires into the ears of the
unfortunate members of their party who,
in a moment of weakness, consented To be
candidates for Council, and yesterday the
general run OF the majority members
looked as haggard and worn as if they had
been up all right wrestling with the soul
string question of how they were TO lift a
rapidly maturing thirty-day note, and had
failed to solve the problem satisfactorily.
A prominent Republican member OF the
First Branch said last evening:
II never saw anything like it. There
were three men ont at my house this
morning before breakfast, and | have been
afraid to 20 home since, for fear of meeting
more of them. l got my dinner ut n res
t~aurant, and have lodged about ever
since TO keep out of the blankety blank
candidates way. | think that rather more
than half OF the men who voted for me
either want an Office for themselves or
some Of their friends. / will be mighty
glad when tomorrow night is over aud
the mob has been appeased."
That is 4 fair sample; but the humorous
side is 10 come. The same Councilman
who thus forcibly expressed his disgust,
was himself a candidate for an Office, and
had buttOn-hOled every other Republican
member in his own interest. And not only
that, but about half q dozen other mem
bers were likewise candidates for Salaried
positions, and were busy engineering
schemes to trade of in each others inter
ests. In fact, it looked for n time yester-
day rs if a large percentage of the majority
side would have to resign and make room
Tor new men, while the chances for the
rank and file getting anything worth hay
ing were rather poor.
The fact is, the Republican success has
somewhat added the party on the subject
of office, and made the organization a tritle
irresponsible for its actions. But to-
day the knowledge of the caucus action
may bring about a lucid interval, and the
public will be spared a further cOntem-
platiOn OF the workings OF the spOils sys-
TEN.
The Republican caucus, which was to de-
termine who should be rewarded and who
would he left, convened in the large hall
in the third story of the Lincoln club, at
I O'Clock last night. The second floor
parlors were thrOuged with an anxious
crowd of candidates, and the sight was one
well calculated to draw tears from stony
eyes. There were twenty offices to be filled,
aud an average Oftivc candidatcstOcach For
some Ofthe particularly lat places, like the
Clerkship of the Municipal Court, there
were as high ~ eight aSpirants; and all Ui
lltHl Ntlt llNSNlll dlth al "'lN ~ IL
The COuncilmen filed upstairs ut the
hour named, Tigidly excluding all
outsiders, and the meeting WAS or
ginizcd by calling +. buchanan to
the Chair. Z. X. Tracy was made Secrc-
tary. As preliminary, it was determined
that the offices should be taken
up in the following order: The
two Assessors, Collector, Clerks of the
Markets, Sexton, Solicitor, City Weigher,
Health officer, Lookup Keeper and his
assistant, Measurer of Lumber and Wood,
City Receiver, members OF the Board OF
Public Works, members of the Water
Board, WcighmasIer, superintendent OF
the City Prison, and lastly, Clerk Of the
Municipal Court.
Thomas Jones was selected as the candi-
date for Assessor north Of the creek, and
4. J. Schultze for the district south OF the
creek, there being little trouble i'll making
4 choice in either case.
The next office on the list was City Col
leclor, and there was a spirited fight for
the place between j. NJ. Warden, S. l..
Brice, n. Wilkinson, T. c. Molfat and
uLherS. Mr.. Brice carried oil the prize.
w. II. Haller was made Clerk of the
Second Ward Market, he having little OPP
position.
George b. Caldwell fell heir to the City
SoliCitorship, and DIR. John Reed secured
the position of Health Officer;
William Brandt, Albert Dram and one
or two others made the race for Lookup
Keeper. Mr.. Brandt got there in good
L..o ,Ft.. N charm SfrY,un,l.
For Receiver, Ed. Dunaway had no
opposition, and he will smile through the
pigrOn-hOle for the next two years.
For the Board of Public Works there
was q rattling fight Captain William
Otto, of the First ward, was named with
little trouble for one of the Republican
members, hut when it came to the second
there was Il lively time, and enough
eloquence was wasted TO run Council
Tor several sessions Messrs. Me-
Coy, Schmulhach, Henry Gilbert,
John Clator and Wallace were put in NOM
~inatiou, and the fun began. There was a
pressure to put DIR. Mccoy on the Board,
whereat there was Il cry raised that Mr..
Hobbs and the Doctor would put up Il Job
and retain the present Clerk, and broad
hints, amounting in fact to assertions, were
thrown out that u deal OF that kind
had been made. One of the gentlemen
took the floor, and excitedly charged Mr..
Gilleland with having gone to Mr.. J. II.
Hobbs house in the interest of some one,
and Mr.. Gilieland Mas compelled to take
the floor in hisOwn defense. Mr.. Caldwell
took the floor, and called attention to the
tact that he had been visited by Mr.. Galligan
to know if Mr.. Hobbs could not be kept
on the Board. 1t looked very much like
there was a screw loose. The caucus seem
ed to take that view of it, for after two
ballots MIR. Odbert was chosen. Mr.. J. II.
Hobbs was then given the third place OH
the Board.
The selection of the Water Board was
rather tame, MesSrS. VIM. Hastings, j. G..
Hoffman, Sr., and Henry Jones, of the
Seventh ward, being selected.
Next came the Superintendent of the
City Prison. This, it was expected, would
be given to Captain Tom. Bennett, for
along about IL o'clock he had been sent
for and Was taken into the hall where the
caucus was in session. When the office